"Have Yourself A Very Merry, Merry Merry, Mothafuckin' Christmas!"
“Homesick Billy and The B-Side Band†is a group of folk and roots styled artist whose music is directed towards conveying life story and ballads in lyrical and musical form. Over time we plan to combine elements of blues, both modern and particularly classic styled rock, psychedilia and surrealism, Johny-Cash-styled country, as well as to incorporate a wide range of other styles, genres, and influences. In truth, all music is fair game in our book.
The name “Homesick Billy†was originally inspired by Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues,†a ballad in which the narrator sings of his feelings of emphatic disgust toward his surrounding hometown. The song initially inspired me to write an entire musical, written in satiristic, balled type-story telling form. In the course of the musical, the narrator (himself presumed a songwriter and singer), through the course of perhaps a dozen songs, tells of his life-disgusted tale which ultimately culminates in the singer pulling together his musically inclined friends who sing in the streets of their home town for mere spare change. The band originates with but one single goal in mind: to round up enough change in their tin cans to hop the next train, departing once and for all from their small and repressed hometown of Birmingham.
Over time this original musical has been expanded into a partially written novel, which amongst other goals serves the purpose of staging stories behind each of the songs that will eventually be recorded and performed by “Homesick Bill and the B-Side Band,†in addition to songs that I eventually plan to use as the grounds for several additional bands I plan to form in the years that follow.
“The B-Side Band†represents the first of several bands that will be launched to introduce what we will for now call "A-side / B-side music and idealogy." A-Side Music (which will prove to be much in contrast to what we will soon describe as “B-Side music) is often Utopian or nearly Utopian in nature. “A-Side Idealogy†was initially inspired by hippie era notions of "Peace, Love, Music." A-Side music advances notions of "Musical Utopia", “Music as a way of lifeâ€, and experiencing life through the “eyes and ears of an inspired musician.†Never the less, while being inspired by various hippie era “peace, music, and life-loving themes, "A-Side Music" is intended to depict a sort of spirit and aora that transcends well beyond the ideologies advanced by any notable 60’s era group of artist.
Had we the artists of the band, found ourselves placed within a more receptive and embracive world, perhaps we would have never felt the need to develop B-Side notions and idealogy. Nor would we have felt the need to initiate our futuristic goals by first launching a “B-Side Band.†Our observation, however, is that people, at least for the most part, are typically not prepared to embrace “A-Side†music, ideas, and concepts, nor typically able to even begin to relate to the hopes and goals of a group of artists wanting to push an ideology largely based on the notions of a Musical Utopia. Hence the need from the start for a “B-Side Band, a band pushing the negative and hellacious concepts and themes that people live with, experience, and can much more easily relate to.
Stated in another way, A-side music is almost heavenly, "Above the sky and into the heavens." A-side music invokes themes of Adoration and universal Affection, but also Aim, Ambition, Accomplishment, and Achievement.
“B-Side music,†on the other hand is "Bastardized", truthfully in nature: "Beneath the earth", "Below the ground", "Bottom Side Up", "Butt-end facing forward." “B-Side Music†tells the stories of the “backwards†sort of lives that nearly each of us find ourselves forced to exist. For these reasons alone, “B-Side music†will prove much easier then “A-Side music†for the average joe to appreciate, enjoy, and identify with.
With thoughts in mind, we plan to soon introduce to the world “Homesick Billy and the B-Side Band.â€
